


A Lesson in Patience

by peacenik_jesus



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-11-27 06:59:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18191276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peacenik_jesus/pseuds/peacenik_jesus
Summary: Tumblr Prompt: I don’t think I’ve ever heard you laugh





	A Lesson in Patience

“Did I not teach you _anything_?” Paul huffed in exasperation as he easily blocked a strike from Aaron.

“I’m going easy on you,” Aaron admitted. “You’re supposed to _ease_ back into physical activity, remember?”

“Well, stop it! You’re not doing me any favors.”

A sound somewhere between a snort and a grunt came from Paul’s left and he looked over to see Daryl and Dog sitting on the steps to the hayloft. Daryl was sharpening his blade, but the grin on his face was more than obvious. “You two sound like an old married couple. Y’aint done nothing but bitched at each other for the last half an hour.”

Paul eyed the man curiously, deflecting a punch Aaron was trying to bring in from the side as if he was swatting away a fly. “It just occurred to me…I don’t think I’ve ever heard you laugh.”

Daryl spat on the blade of his knife, then looked up to meet Paul’s gaze. “Y’still ain’t heard it.”

“So that…” he mimicked the snorting grunt sound, eliciting a soft chuckle from Aaron. “Wasn’t you laughing just now?”

“Daryl’s incapable of laughter,” Aaron teased, moving to sit next to Daryl on the step, nudging him playfully with his shoulder before giving Dog a good scratch behind the ears. “He’s just an adorable, dirty, ball of rage.”

The roughneck looked over at Aaron, brandishing his knife in a mock-threatening manner. “Who the hell you callin’ adorable? Pretty sure that tag belongs to him.”

Paul felt his cheeks flush as the man nodded in his direction, and moved to join the other two on the steps, sitting one below and leaning back against Aaron’s leg. “I like how you argue with him on the ‘adorable’ part but not the part about being dirty or a ball of rage.”

“Ain’t like he’s wrong,” Daryl offered a shrug and a smirk, wiping the freshly sharpened blade on his pants and re-sheathing it.

“You know you wouldn’t be as dirty all the time if you stuck around more than a few days here and there?” Aaron offered, laying a hand on Daryl’s knee and giving it a loving squeeze.

“Actually,” Paul interjected, sitting up a little and looking down at his hand as he rubbed them together to fidget. “That’s something I wanted to talk to you both about…” he glanced up, looking between the two men who were both watching him. “I don’t know how it would work…exactly…especially with Gracie…but…” he felt nervous now that he was voicing his thoughts out loud. This was something he’d been thinking about for a while, something that seemed even more important since the graveyard incident. “I’d like for us to live together. All of us–Aaron, Daryl, me, Gracie, Dog… It’s hard not knowing when we’ll all three be together, and harder knowing that after a couple of days you both will leave again.”

The two men exchanged a look, but it was Aaron who spoke in that soft tone that Paul quickly recognized as the one he used when trying to let someone down easy. “As good as it sounds, and as much as I’d love that…I just don’t see how it would work. You’re needed here at Hilltop, I’m needed in Alexandria. And Daryl…hell, Daryl’s needed everywhere.”

“‘Sides,” Daryl cut in, equally as soft though his voice was rougher. “Ain’t nobody gonna understand what this is. People are alright thinkin’ it’s just you two who’re together. Guarantee you if they knew I was part of it…wouldn’t be the same.”

Paul sighed quietly, trying not to let his disappointment show as he looked away from both men to watch a young colt being saddle broken in the round pen. He felt a weight on his shoulder as Aaron rested his metal forearm against it, and looked back at the other man.

“Doesn’t mean we don’t want the same thing, Paul. It just means it’s not the right time yet.”

“Waiting for the ‘right time’ means taking a chance on it being too late,” he shot back, a little more indignation in his voice than he intended. “I would have thought me getting stabbed would have shined a light on that.”

Aaron looked hurt, and Jesus wanted to take the words back, but found himself incapable of apologizing for how he felt in that moment. The two stared at each other for a long, awkward moment before Daryl broke the silence.

“This ain’t easy for any of us. I still don’t even know what this is, but talkin’ ‘bout livin’ together…with a kid? You really ready for that kinda thing?”

Maybe they were right. While he didn’t care what others in the community thought, it was a lot to ask, especially when Gracie had never spent much time around himself or Daryl. It was too soon in their…relationship…to change the dynamics, no matter how much it sucked having to be away from them for weeks or months at a time. “Can we at least consider it an option down the line?”

Aaron looked at Daryl, who gave his nod of affirmation, then smiled at Paul. “I think that’s doable.” Using his metal arm, he pulled Paul closer and leaned down to kiss him sweetly. When he pulled back, he smirked at Daryl. “I’d kiss you too, but I know how you feel about PDA.”

Daryl gave another snorting grunt, his lip corners turning up to smirk back at the other man, but before he could speak, Paul was thrusting an accusing finger at him. “I _knew_ that was a laugh earlier! You dirty liar,” he couldn’t help but laugh as he said the words, and this time Daryl actually chuckled in response, surprising even Aaron by the sound.

“How about that,” the man grinned, wrapping his right arm around Daryl’s shoulders. “You _are_ capable of laughter. I feel like we just watched you blossom into a beautiful flower.”

Daryl shrugged out of Aaron’s side-hug, his cheeks burning, and pushed himself to his feet. “Pft. You’re fuckin’ crazy. I ain’t no damn flower. I gotta go check the traps. Ain’t you two supposed to be sparrin’ anyways?”

He didn’t wait for an answer, and Paul and Aaron both laughed at his retreating form before Paul moved up a step to sit next to Aaron, lacing his fingers with the other man’s. “Sorry about what I said. I just miss the hell out of you both when you’re not here.”

“I know,” Aaron gave a gentle squeeze. “I miss you too, and Daryl, but he’s right. This is going to be harder than a ‘normal’ relationship, and we can’t rush anything if we want it to work right.”

“I know, I know…” Paul sighed at rested his head on Aaron’s shoulder. “I’ll work on being patient.”

Aaron pressed a kiss to the top of Paul’s head, nuzzling his hair with his cheek. “Would it help if I said I love you?”

Paul lifted his head, searching Aaron’s eyes. The feeling was every day implied between the three of them, but no one had ever said the words out loud. Cupping Aaron’s cheek, he pulled the other man into a languid kiss, not giving a damn about who might be watching them. “I love you, too.”

“Good,” Aaron smiled softly, brushing his nose against Paul’s. “Then stop whining and let me kick your ass for once.”

Jesus threw his head back with a laugh and let Aaron pull him to his feet, getting ready to spar again and smirking at his opponent. “Bring your A-game this time. Stop going easy on me.”

“Alright, but you asked for it,” Aaron grinned, completely content with life for the first time in a very long time.


End file.
